C-MER Medical 2026H1 Mainland Dental Profit Up 33%; Straumann Patent Infringement Lawsuit Accepted for Rehearing; Wuhan University Oral Orthognathic Surgery Dispute, Patient States Settlement Reached…

C-MER Medical 2026H1: Mainland Dental Profit Up 33%, Total Dental Revenue Up 19% to HK$282 Million

C-MER Medical released its 2026 interim results. The company's overall dental service revenue grew 19.0% year-on-year to HK$282.5 million (approximately RMB 244 million), accounting for 27.6% of total revenue. The Mainland dental business segment profit increased from HK$33.2 million to HK$44.2 million, up 33.2% year-on-year; revenue grew 19.5% year-on-year to HK$259 million, with Gross Margin rising from 33.6% to 35.2%. In terms of business scale, the company's total number of dental chairs increased 18.0% year-on-year to 328; total visits grew 11.5% to 186,812. Meanwhile, visits per dental chair decreased 5.5% year-on-year to 570, and revenue per dental chair grew only 0.8% to HK$861,000.

Straumann Patent Infringement Lawsuit Accepted for Re-filing, Cares' Patent Invalidation Request Rejected

On September 9, 2026, the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court ruled that Cares' use of highly similar packaging constituted unfair competition, ordering it to cease infringement and compensate Straumann. The next day, Straumann stated that its Patent Infringement lawsuit had been withdrawn and re-filed, and that the China National Intellectual Property Administration had rejected Cares' patent invalidation request on July 10, 2026, maintaining the patent's validity. Previously, Straumann had filed two lawsuits in October 2025.

Wuhan University Stomatological Hospital Orthognathic Surgery Dispute: Patient Issues Statement Saying Settlement Reached

On September 4, 2026, according to Qianjiang Evening News, a patient who suffered facial deformity due to a failed Orthognathic Surgery issued a statement on social media, saying that the medical dispute involved had now reached a settlement and been properly resolved. The patient hoped netizens would view the matter objectively and rationally, not spread false information, and expressed a desire to return to normal life and no longer occupy public resources.

Peking Union Team First Confirms Oral Fusobacterium periodonticum May Promote Rectal Cancer Development

Recently, a multi-omics study (n=123) published in Nature Communications showed that Fusobacterium periodonticum, commonly found in the Oral cavity, can drive neutrophil chemotaxis through its metabolite Decanoic acid, thereby promoting the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer. This finding provides new evidence of oral-gut axis mechanisms for the global dental industry, suggesting that Oral microecological regulation may become a potential strategy for CRC prevention and screening. The study was jointly completed by a multidisciplinary team from the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, and Department of General Surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Two Departments Issue Document: Cracking Down on "Involution-style" Low-price Competition, Clarifying Cost Accounting Requirements

On September 10, 2026, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Notice on Cost Accounting for Low-price Disorderly Competition in Important Industrial Products," clarifying that individual costs shall be used as the benchmark and capacity utilization rates shall be included, targeting key industrial products to curb Low-price Disorderly Competition. This move aims to push the industry from "competing on price" to "competing on quality and innovation," creating a fair and high-quality market environment for the global dental industry.

Park Dental Partners Plans to Acquire a Dental DSO for Up to US$46 Million

Recently, publicly listed Dental Service Organization (DSO) Park Dental Partners, Inc. announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with North Carolina-based Village Family Dental DSO to acquire the DSO, with total consideration expected to be between US$39.1 million and US$46 million. After the transaction is completed, Village Family Dental will continue to operate as an independent dental practice and retain the "Village Family Dental" name to provide clinical services.

On First Day of Ecological Environment Code Implementation, Two Dental Clinics Investigated, Maximum Fine Raised from RMB 100,000 to RMB 500,000

On the first day of implementation of the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment filed cases against two dental clinics in Pudong for using Class III Radiation Devices without obtaining a Radiation Safety Permit. Under the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China, the penalty range was raised to no less than RMB 50,000 and no more than RMB 500,000, so the two clinics may face administrative penalties of RMB 120,000 to RMB 150,000.

Henry Schein Subsidiary eAssist Hit by Ransomware Attack, About 3,000 Dental Clinics Face Data Security Risks

On September 8, 2026, Henry Schein, Inc. subsidiary eAssist Dental Solutions suffered a Direwolf Ransomware attack, putting about 3,000 U.S. dental clinics at risk of data security issues. eAssist has launched an investigation, engaged third-party experts, and advised customers to change system passwords and remove old or inactive accounts. The company is assessing whether a Data Breach occurred, and the investigation is ongoing.

Involving 15 Million Patients, Dental Benefits Provider DentaQuest Hit with Class Action for Delayed Data Breach Notification

Recently, DentaQuest, the second-largest dental benefits administrator in the United States, was hit with a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts over a large-scale Data Breach in May that exposed the personal information of approximately 15 million patients. The company has engaged Kroll to provide 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity restoration, and has strengthened system monitoring and cybersecurity training to reduce industry compliance risks. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to timely notify affected individuals, involving negligence, breach of contract, and the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act.

Vietnam Aims to Attract 750,000 International Medical Tourists by 2030, Dental Treatment Among Popular Cross-border Services

Recently, Vietnam's Ministry of Health published the "2026-2030 Medical Tourism Development Draft," planning to attract approximately 750,000 international medical tourists by 2030, with dental aesthetics being a popular service. The country currently receives about 300,000 foreign residents and visitors annually, with about 40% concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City. Australian patients travel to Vietnam due to high domestic prices, with overall costs about one-third of those in Australia. The draft also proposes expanding modern and traditional medicine service areas, and plans to establish a national brand and medical tourism association.

U.S. Passes Continuing Appropriations Act, Funding for Multiple Dental Programs Extended to December

On September 2, 2026, U.S. President Trump signed the "Fiscal Year 2027 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act," extending federal dental funding through December 11, including US$21 million for the CDC Oral Health Program, US$43 million for the HRSA Oral Health Workforce Program, US$525 million for NIDCR research funding, US$12 million for Department of Defense dental research, and US$260 million for the IHS dental program, while preventing the OMB from advancing appropriations review rule reform. If a full-year budget agreement is not reached by December 11, the relevant programs will still face the risk of funding interruption.

WorldSkills Competition Adds Dental Prosthetics Event, Digitalization Becomes Core Judging Criterion

The 48th WorldSkills Competition will be held from September 22 to 27, 2026, in Shanghai. As the world's highest-level vocational skills competition, it is held every two years; this edition features 64 competition events, among which "Dental Prosthetics" is one of the 7 newly added events, making its debut on the WorldSkills stage.

All U.S. States Now Allow Dental Hygienists to Administer Anesthesia, Projected Shortage of Over 33,000 in This Profession by 2038

Recently, a workforce projection released by an agency under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) shows that the dental hygienist shortage crisis in the United States continues. The report projects that by 2038, the full-time equivalent (FTE) shortage will reach 33,220. Meanwhile, the Governor of Delaware signed Senate Bill 131 (SB 131) on August 25, 2025, allowing dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia under the direct supervision of a dentist, with the bill taking effect on January 1, 2026. According to relevant agencies, Delaware is the 50th state in the nation to grant this authority, and this expansion of scope of practice has now achieved uniformity across the United States.

National Bureau of Statistics: August CPI Healthcare Prices Up 2.7% Year-on-Year, PPI Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Ex-Factory Prices Down 3.7% Year-on-Year

On September 9, 2026, the National Bureau of Statistics released August data. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.8% year-on-year, with healthcare prices up 2.7%; the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 3.8% year-on-year. Pharmaceutical manufacturing prices fell 0.2% month-on-month and 3.7% year-on-year.

U.S. Pediatric Dentist Numbers Up 126% Over 24 Years, Growth Rate 4.9 Times the Industry Average

In September 2026, according to the latest "U.S. Dentist Supply: 2001-2025" data report released by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute (ADA HPI), the number of pediatric dentists in the United States grew from 4,213 in 2001 to 9,521 in 2025, a cumulative increase of 126%. This growth rate exceeded the overall 26% growth of U.S. dentists during the same period, with pediatric specialty talent expansion approximately 4.9 times the industry's overall growth rate. The report also noted that the proportion of female dentists in the United States rose from 16% to 39.4%, and the proportion aged 65 and older rose from 8.7% to 15.2%.

New Study: Ti Alloy-Zirconia Bilayer Monolithic Dental Implant May Reduce Number of Surgical Interventions

On September 8, 2026, ARCI, under India's Ministry of Science and Technology, released a bilayer titanium-zirconia monolithic Dental Implant with a hardness of 1350 HV, compressive strength of approximately 1550 MPa, flexural strength of approximately 310 MPa, density of 99.5%, and in vitro cell viability exceeding 90%. The technology aims to overcome stability issues caused by traditional multi-component systems and is expected to reduce the number of surgical interventions required for Dental Implant Treatment.

New Study: Denture Wearing May Improve Blood Sugar Control in Diabetic Patients

Recently, a scoping review conducted collaboratively by Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines found that diabetic patients who wear dentures experienced an average HbA1c reduction of 0.65 percentage points. The study included multiple observational and interventional studies, noting that tooth loss leads to decreased chewing function, which in turn affects dietary structure, and dentures may improve blood sugar by restoring chewing. Five studies reported a positive association between denture use and blood sugar control, with a pooled mean difference of -0.65 percentage points. Researchers emphasized that this is still early, hypothesis-generating evidence and is not yet sufficient to confirm that dentures can improve blood sugar control in diabetic patients.

New Study: Dental Floss May Deliver Vaccines, Immune Efficacy Comparable to Nasal Delivery

Recently, an animal study and preliminary human trial (n=27) published in Nature Biomedical Engineering showed that delivering vaccines via dental floss to the junctional epithelium at the base of the gingival sulcus, utilizing the tissue's natural high permeability, can effectively induce potent mucosal immune antibodies. The study was completed by Professor Harvinder Gill's team at North Carolina State University (NCSU), providing a simple, low-cost alternative for needle-free vaccination.